Driver Chad Harden crashes after his lead horse collapsed on the backstretch and his outrider crashed into the back of his rig in the 4th heat of the GMCRangeland Derby at the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta on July 12,2012. STUART DRYDEN/CALGARY SUN/QMI AGENCY
Just hours after three horses died during the chuckwagon race at the Calgary Stampede, the Vancouver Humane Society was calling for an end to the popular event. “Clearly, the Stampede’s much publicized safety improvements have failed to make the race any safer,” VHS spokesman Peter Fricker said in a release. “Horses continue to die needlessly.
This has to stop.” The crash happened when driver Chad Harden’s left leader horse suffered what officials called a “fatal event.” Two other horses that were part of the team, the outriding horse and the right leader, had to be euthanized on the track after suffering serious injuries in the crash.
Harden did not suffer any major injury, but he was unable to contain his emotions after the crash. “It’s devastating,” he said through tears. “We try our best to make sure they’re all healthy. “The outriding horse was 18 years old, and I’ve had him for 13 years. He’s part of our family. He’s supposed to be our kids’ horse. This was his last year. He was going to be the kids’ horse, so they started riding him this year. He’s like our family pet,” Harden said. “The right leader is the horse I won the 2009 Calgary Stampede with, so he’s another sentimental horse.” To read the full article at the cnews.canoe.ca, please click here.
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